In 1994, the duo expanded to a trio when Resque drummer Wez joined the band. In 1996, the band expanded further to include Salvatore Alessi of S*M*A*S*H on bass, Ben Lambert on keyboards, and Wez's brother Steve on guitar.
The groups most successful single, "The Only Living Boy in New Cross" from their UK #1 album "1992: The Love Album", reached #7 in the UK and #26 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in the United States.
Billy's Smart Circus
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Isn't every father's wish
But if you7re ever feeling hungry
Feast your eyes on this
Bullied beat up cabbaged kids
To be patched up by the nurse
Who's carrying the baggage in
And the doctor's praying to Buddha,
"Send me to another town!"
A shovelful of sugar
Won't help that medicine go down
As the actress said to the bishop
I stand accused your Grace
Of the seven deadly cynicisms
And a total lack of faith
And if I put this gun against my head
And pull the trigger I'll be dead
But if I listen to my heart
It says, Billy that ain't smart
So I'll do something else instead
(Billy's smart, Billy's smart
Circus for the bleeding heaarts
Feed the world, heal the sick
Take the piss out of the shit
Live your life without a net
Stick your head down the lion's neck
And listen to the people cheer
Send in the clowns
Don't bother they're here)
To die for his mother's country
Isn't every father's wish
But if you're ever feeling hungry
Feast your eyes on this
Under funded O.A.P.'s
Turn to life of crime
The great cucumber robberies of 1989
Send 'em down and bang '2m up
In a South London maisonette
Unlicensed and unregistered
It shouldn't happen to a vet
As the actress said to the bishop
The rabbi and the priest
My eyes have seen the glory
I'm a born again atheist
And if I put this gun against my head
And pull the trigger I'll be dead
But if I listen to my heart
It says, Bill that ain't smart
So I'll shoot someone else instead
The first stanza of the song juxtaposes patriotic ideals with the harsh realities of poverty and healthcare inequality. It suggests that dying for one's country may not be a desire for all fathers, and so the lyrics encourage the listener to instead look at the spectacle around them, represented in Billy's Smart Circus. The second stanza describes the mistreatment of vulnerable children, who are then treated by overworked medical professionals. The frustration of the doctors is also highlighted, with one apparently praying to Buddha for a way out of their current predicament. The lyrics also reference the famous phrase "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down," but imply that no amount of sweetness can make the bitterness of life's struggles disappear.
Line by Line Meaning
To die for his mother country
Dying for your country cannot be a desire of every father
Isn't every father's wish
It isn't desirable for every father to have their child dying for their country
But if you're ever feeling hungry
If you ever feel empty or unsatisfied
Feast your eyes on this
Take a look at this and be mesmerized
Bullied beat up cabbaged kids
Children who were bullied, beaten up, and left physically and mentally damaged
To be patched up by the nurse
They get treated by a nurse to heal their injuries
Who's carrying the baggage in
The nurse is carrying a lot of emotional baggage
For the private patients first
Private patients are given priority
And the doctor's praying to Buddha,
Doctor is desperately wishing to send his patients elsewhere
"Send me to another town!"
Asks Buddha to help him get away from this situation
A shovelful of sugar
No amount of sugar can make the medicine go down
Won't help that medicine go down
The medicine is so bitter that no amount of sugar can make it taste good
As the actress said to the bishop
The actress made a statement to someone in power
I stand accused your Grace
I am being accused by you
Of the seven deadly cynicisms
I am guilty of having a severely negative attitude
And a total lack of faith
I lack belief and conviction
And if I put this gun against my head
If I were to use a gun to end my life
And pull the trigger I'll be dead
I will die if I shoot myself
But if I listen to my heart
Instead of doing what seems logical
It says, Billy that ain't smart
My heart tells me that this is not a wise decision
So I'll do something else instead
I'll try something different instead
(Billy's smart, Billy's smart
Billy is clever and wise
Circus for the bleeding heaarts
A circus for those who are overly emotional
Feed the world, heal the sick
The circus is trying to help those in need
Take the piss out of the shit
It makes fun of the unpleasant things - to cope
Live your life without a net
Live your life without a security blanket
Stick your head down the lion's neck
Be brave enough to take risks
And listen to the people cheer
And enjoy the applause along the way
Send in the clowns
The circus has performers who dress like clowns
Don't bother they're here)
They don't need an invitation, they are already here
Under funded O.A.P.'s
Underfunded old age pensioners
Turn to life of crime
They turn into criminals to survive
The great cucumber robberies of 1989
The great cucumber heist of 1989
Send 'em down and bang '2m up
Lock them up and throw away the key
In a South London maisonette
In an apartment in south London
Unlicensed and unregistered
There's no reason for them to license, report themselves
It shouldn't happen to a vet
The situation is so dire that even a veterinarian wouldn't expect this to happen
The rabbi and the priest
The rabbi and the priest are present
My eyes have seen the glory
I have seen amazing things
I'm a born again atheist
I am an atheist who has had a change of heart
So I'll shoot someone else instead
I'll harm someone else instead of myself
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES NEIL MORRISON, LESLIE GEORGE CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind